Contents

Description

The ski resort of Les Karellis is situated in the Maurienne area of the Savoie department in the Northern Alps region. The lift served area extends from 1600 metres to 2550 metres. There is 60 km of varied lift served runs spread over 550 hectares of slopes. The resort is traffic free and features ski-in ski-out convenience to the 7 villages at the foot of the slopes. There is limited snowmaking. The resort is traffic free. The slopes are oriented to the north and north-east and generally have the some of the best snow cover in the Maurienne valley. The skiing would suit intermediate to advanced intermediate skiers with attractive tree lined skiing lower down, wide open runs higher up. The Loix green run is an a long and interesting beginner slope. There are 30 km of cross country trails and snowshoeing include an "snowshoe cross zone" to test your skills. The resort features a snowpark. The off piste skiing is some of the best in the valley.

News

The resort scored a publicity coup in the winter of 2006 when it installed France's first heated high speed chair lift.

History

Keeping the red flag flying

Not the avalanche warning flag but that of socialists like Leo Lagrange. Les Karellis celebrated its 30th anniversary over Christmas 2005. The vision of the founder Pierre Lainé was to link the communities that owned the slopes with tourist associations to provide a ski resort with a social and cultural aspect as well as aiding the local economy. Lainé's aim was to provide "winter sports holidays to families of even quite modest means". He felt that the existing development model in French ski resorts didn't provide a balanced or durable economy for the local communities, "the success of les Karellis shows that it was possible to take a different route from that of ultra-liberalism that dominates in most tourist destinations". The ski resort is situated in the Montricher-Albanne community and is run as kind of cooperative venture with its partners. Holiday makers are offered all inclusive packages which include accomodation, lift pass and other entertainments. Continuing the social them tarifs are based on family revenue.

Albanne is a traditional Maurienne village

Over a million and a half people have holidayed in the resort in the past three decades creating 250 permenant jobs and 550 seasonal jobs.